SOUND DISCRIMINATION METHOD AND APPARATUS
First Claim
1. A method of distinguishing sound sources, comprising the steps of:
- transforming data, collected by at least two transducers which each react to a characteristic of an acoustic wave, into signals for each transducer location, the transducers being separated by a distance of less than about 70 mm or greater than about 90 mm;
separating the signals into a plurality of frequency bands for each transducer location;
for each band comparing a relationship of the magnitudes of the signals for the transducer locations with a first threshold value; and
causing a relative gain change between those frequency bands whose magnitude relationship falls on one side of the threshold, value and those frequency bands whose magnitude relationship falls on the other side of the threshold value, such that sound sources are discriminated, from each other based on their distance from the transducers.
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Abstract
A method of distinguishing sound sources includes the step of transforming data, collected by at least two transducers which each react to a characteristic of an acoustic wave, into signals for each transducer location. The transducers are separated by a distance of less than about 70 mm or greater than about 90 mm. The signals are separated into a plurality of frequency bands for each transducer location. For each band a comparison is made of the relationship of the magnitudes of the signals for the transducer locations with a threshold value. A relative gain change is caused between those frequency bands whose magnitude relationship falls on one side of the threshold value and those frequency bands whose magnitude relationship falls on the other side of the threshold value. As such, sound sources are discriminated from each other based, on their distance from the transducers.
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Citations
99 Claims
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1. A method of distinguishing sound sources, comprising the steps of:
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transforming data, collected by at least two transducers which each react to a characteristic of an acoustic wave, into signals for each transducer location, the transducers being separated by a distance of less than about 70 mm or greater than about 90 mm; separating the signals into a plurality of frequency bands for each transducer location; for each band comparing a relationship of the magnitudes of the signals for the transducer locations with a first threshold value; and causing a relative gain change between those frequency bands whose magnitude relationship falls on one side of the threshold, value and those frequency bands whose magnitude relationship falls on the other side of the threshold value, such that sound sources are discriminated, from each other based on their distance from the transducers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 88, 89)
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35. A method of discriminating between sound sources, comprising the steps of:
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transforming data, collected by transducers which react to a characteristic of an acoustic wave, into signals for each transducer location; separating the signals into a plurality of frequency bands for each location; for each band determining a relationship of the magnitudes of the signals for the locations; for each band determining from the signals a time delay between when an acoustic wave is detected by a first transducer and when this wave is detected by a second transducer; and causing a relative gain change between those frequency bands whose magnitude relationship and time delay fall on one side of respective threshold values for magnitude relationship and time delay, and those frequency bands whose (a) magnitude relationship falls on the other side of its threshold value, (b) rime delay falls on the other side of its threshold value, or (c) magnitude relationship and time delay both fall on the other side of their respective threshold values. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method of distinguishing sound sources, comprising the steps of:
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capturing data collected by at least three omni-directional microphones which each react to a characteristic of an acoustic wave; processing said data to determine (a) which data represents one or more sound sources located less than a certain distance from the microphones, and (b) which data represents one or more sound sources located more than the certain distance from the microphones; and utilising the results of the processing step to provide a greater emphasis of data representing the sound source(s) in one of (a) or (b) above over data representing the sound source(s) in the other of (a) or (b) above, such that sound sources are discriminated from each other based on their distance from the microphones. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 90, 98)
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61. A personal communication device, comprising:
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two transducers which react to a characteristic of an acoustic wave to capture data representative of the characteristic, the transducers being separated by a distance of about 70 mm or less; and a signal processor for processing said data to determine (a) which data represents one or more sound sources located less than a certain distance from the transducers, and (b) which data represents one or more sound sources located more than the certain distance from the transducers, the signal processor providing a greater emphasis of data representing the sound source(s) in one of (a) or (b) above over data representing the sound source(s) in the other of (a) or (b) above, such that sound sources are discriminated from each other based on their distance from the transducers. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 91)
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73. A microphone system, comprising:
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a silicon chip; two transducers secured to the chip which react to a characteristic of an acoustic wave to capture data representative of the characteristic, the transducers being separated by a distance of about 70 mm or less; and a signal processor secured to the chip for processing said data to determine (a) which data represents one or more sound sources located less than a certain distance from the transducers, and (b) which data represents one or more sound sources located more than the certain distance from the transducers, the signal processor providing a greater emphasis of data representing the sound source(s) in one of (a) or (b) above over data representing the sound source(s) in the other of (a) or (b) above, such that sound sources are discriminated from each other based on their distance from the transducers. - View Dependent Claims (74)
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75. A method of discriminating between sound sources, comprising the steps of:
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transforming data, collected by transducers which react to a characteristic of an acoustic wave, into signals for each transducer location; separating the signals into a plurality of frequency bands for each location; for each band determining a relationship of the magnitudes of the signals for the locations; for each band determining from the signals a phase shift which is indicative of when an acoustic wave is detected by a first transducer and when this wave is detected by a second transducer; and causing a relative gain change between those frequency bands whose magnitude relationship and phase shift fall on one side of respective threshold values for magnitude relationship and phase shift, and those frequency bands whose (a) magnitude relationship falls on the other side of its threshold value, (b) phase shift falls on the other side of its threshold value, or (c) magnitude relationship and phase shift both fall on the other side of their respective threshold values. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77, 78)
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79. A method of discriminating between sound sources, comprising the steps of:
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transforming data, collected by transducers which react to a characteristic of an acoustic wave, into signals for each transducer location; separating the signals into a plurality of frequency bands for each, location; for each band determining a relationship of the magnitudes of the signals for the locations; and causing a relative gain change between those frequency bands whose magnitude relationship falls on one side of a threshold value, and those frequency bands whose magnitude relationship falls on the other side of the threshold value, the gain change being faded across the threshold value to avoid abrupt gain changes at or near the threshold. - View Dependent Claims (80)
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86. A method of discriminating between sound sources, comprising the steps of:
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transforming data, collected by transducers which react to a characteristic of an acoustic wave, into signals for each transducer location; separating the signals into a plurality of frequency bands for each location; for each band determining characteristics of the signals which are indicative of a distance and angle to the transducers of a sound source providing energy to a particular band; and causing a relative gain change between those frequency bands whose signal characteristics indicate that a sound source providing energy to a particular band meets distance and angle requirements, and those frequency bands whose signal characteristics indicate that a sound source providing energy to a particular band (a) does not meet a distance requirement, (b) does not meet an angle requirement, or (c) does not meet distance and angle requirements. - View Dependent Claims (87)
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92. A method of distinguishing sound sources, comprising the steps of:
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transforming data, collected by four transducers which each react to a characteristic of an acoustic wave, into signals for each transducer location; separating the signals into a plurality of frequency bands for each transducer location; for each band comparing a relationship of the magnitudes of the signals for at least two different pairs of the transducers with a threshold value; determining for each transducer pair whether the magnitude relationship falls on one side or the other side of the threshold value; utilizing the results of the determining step to decide whether an overall magnitude relationship falls on one side or the other side of the threshold value; and causing a relative gain change between those frequency bands whose overall magnitude relationship falls on one side of the threshold value and those frequency bands whose overall magnitude relationship falls on the other side of the threshold value, such that sound sources are discriminated from each other based on their distance from the transducers. - View Dependent Claims (93, 94, 95, 96, 99)
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97. A method of distinguishing sound sources, comprising the steps of:
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switching a sound distinguishing system to a training mode; moving a sound source to a plurality of locations within a sound, source accept region such that the sound distinguishing system can determine a plurality of thresholds for a plurality of frequency bins; switching the sound distinguishing system to an operating mode, whereby the sound, distinguishing system will use the thresholds to provide a relative emphasis to sound sources located in the sound source accept region over sound sources located outside the sound source accept region.
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Specification